Storage-battery electrode.



- a citizen ofthe United States, residing at:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

THOMAsr L'. EDISON, on LL RLLYN PARK, RANGE, NEW JE SEY, ASS/IGNOR TOEDIs n-sroRAoE BATTERY COMPANY, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW J RSEY, .ACORPORATION OF NEWUERSEY.

S O AGE-BATTERY ELECTRODE.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented'June '25,- 1907.

' Application filed Karol! 80, 1905. Serial No- 252,935.

To all whom it may-conaeiir'aii" B'eit known that I, TH MAS ALVA EDISON,

Llewellvn Park, Orange, in the county of E sex and State of New Jersey,have invent certain new and useful Improvements in Storage-BatterElectrodes, of which the following is a escription.

In my improved iron-nickel storage battery, the active material in thepositive elec trode is admixed with afiake-like or foliated' conductingsubstance b which contact between the active partic es is secured. The

material which I have'heretofore used for this purpose isfiake graphite,which is cheap and capable of being-subdivided into flakesv or scales ofgreat thinness. I find, however, that flake graphite when subjected tothe effect of prolonged electrolysis in an alkaline solution, undergoesa change in its contact resistance, so that after a long time,asufficient change in this respect may take place as to diminish thecapacity of-the battery.

In ex erirnenting with" insoluble metals in a flakeike or foliated form,I ascertained .the curious fact that in the case of metallicnickel, itis (Elite difiicult to secure good contact in an al aline solutionunless excessively high contact pressure is used. This henomenon may bepossibly attributed to t e formation of an invisible and excessivelythin film of non-conducting oxid on the metallic. surfaces. under theefiect of electrolysis; Y Metallic cobalt on the other hand, is not.open to this obectio'n, for althou h its sur- 1 face is very slig tlyattacked by e ectrolysis possible, however, that .the very sli ht.electrolytic. action on the metallic scales, if made wholly ofcobalt,.might, in a '"long time, gradually disintegrate the same, '45

yet good contact with the active part cles -.-'Inay be secured whenmixed therewith, even when nopressure isused other than -the weight ofthe particles themselves; It isakes or and for this reason I consider itundesirable to rely on metallic cobalt alone. Itherefore prefer to makeuse of a nickelcobalt alloy,

containing. say-60 per cent .of cobalt and 40. 1 "per cent OfJllCkBlmade in any" suitable way,

sneh'as by fusion of the two metals-3,01 by simultaneous electrolyticdeposition, "as

3 describe. imyy application-forLetters Pat- .ent fi led cpncunentlherewith-J In the case of the alloy made. by fusion, the lattermay beconverted intoflakes or scales by meth- .ods familiar tojthose skilledin the art, as for instance by'rolling or stamping with. oil, aspracticed in the manufacture of bronze of the latter without additionalpressure,

while at" the same time the ver trolytic action on the cobalt Wlll notpenetrate into' the alloy to a harmful extent, so

that the fiakes will" preserve their metallic identity. -This desirablecharacteristic of the nickel-cobalt alloy is present even when theproportions of the two metals are widely varied. "1

The scales, flakes, foils or films of the me,-

fto the-active material in any suitable way, examples of which Idisclose in my concurrent a plications. For instance, the active partices of nickel hydroxid in the form of dry granules may be covered with asticky material, such as molasses. The metallic foils may be then addedtoentirely coverthe surfaces of-said granules the massqso ,obtainedmaybe then placed in the usual perforated ockets and a moderate pressurea iplied, a ter which the molassesis entire y. dissolved out, anda'final pressure applied to efiectively consolidate .the entire mass. Orinstead, the metallic conducting foils or flakes. may be formed into aspongy or honeycomb coherent integral structure by welding slight elecaloose mass of the metallic flakes, after which the active material maybe introduced within the same by successively dipping into a solution ofthe active salt and alternate evaporating o erations.

Having now describe my invention what .I claim as new therein and desireto secure by Letters Patent 15 as follows:

.12 An electrode'mass for storage batteries emplo 'ing alkalineelectrolytes, comprising an int nate mixture'of a suitable active ma-IOKI .jterial snd metallic flakes, scales or. films :for'med wholly orin part of metallic cobalt, substantially: as set: forth.

.7 5 tallic cobalt 0r cobalt nickel alloy are added Con ection inLetters Patent No. 857 9 29 metallic flakes, scales or filmsformedwholl'y i or in part of metallic cobalt, snbstantiallyas v .setforth. 3. An electrode an intimate mixture ofa suitable active material,and flakes, scales or films ofeob'altniekelallo 5 silbstantiail"assetvforth. I 4. An e ectrode mass or storage batteries employingalkaline electrolytes, comprising w an intimate mixturepf nickelhydroxid, an flakes, scales or films of eobat nickel alloy,

substantially as set forth.-- t

5." A flakelike insoluble, eonduetingmate- [snare] mass for storagebatteries employing alkaline electrolytes; comprisingrial for admixturewith the. active material of storage batteries emfmloyin alkalineelectrolyte's comprising sea es, fia. es or foils formed wholly or-m art'0f metalli e cob alt. sul. st:m

tially as set orth.

29th d'ay: 0f March, 1905.

THOMAS A. EDISON. Witnesses:

FRANK. L. DYER, ANNA R. K'LEHM.

.- It is hereby certified thatin Letters Patent No; 857 ,929, grantedJune 25, 1907, upon the application of Thomas A. Ed iaomof LlewellynPark, Orange, New Jersey, for an iniprovenlent in. Storage-BatterElectrodes, an error ap iear s in the printefi specification requiringcorrection, as follows; In line 64, pagel', the word metal shoultf readnickeZQ-"anJ that the'aaiti Letters Patent should be read with-thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the reeord of the easein the Patent'Ofiice.

si ned and sealed this 16th a l J ly, A. 11,1907.

c. o. BILLINGS, Aoti1 c'g Commissioner of Patents;

Con ection in Letters Patent No. 857 9 29 metallic flakes, scales orfilms formedwholl'y i or in part of metallic cobalt, snbstantiallyas v.set forth. 3. An electrode an intimate mixture ofa suitable activematerial, and flakes, scales or films ofeob'altniekelallo 5silbstantiail "assetvforth. I 4. An e ectrode mass or storage batteriesemploying alkaline electrolytes, comprising w an intimate mixturepfnickel hydroxid, an flakes, scales or films of eobat nickel alloy,

substantially as set forth.-- t

5." A flakelike insoluble, eonduetingmate- [snare] mass for storagebatteries employing alkaline electrolytes; comprisingrial for admixturewith the. active material of storage batteries emfmloyin alkalineelectrolyte's comprising sea es, fia. es or foils formed wholly or-m art'0f metalli e cob alt. sul. st:m

tially as set orth.

29th d'ay: 0f March, 1905.

THOMAS A. EDISON. Witnesses:

FRANK. L. DYER, ANNA R. K'LEHM.

.- It is hereby certified thatin Letters Patent No; 857 ,929, grantedJune 25, 1907, upon the application of Thomas A. Ed iaomof LlewellynPark, Orange, New Jersey, for an iniprovenlent in. Storage-BatterElectrodes, an error ap iear s in the printefi specification requiringcorrection, as follows; In line 64, pagel', the word metal shoultf readnickeZQ-"anJ that the'aaiti Letters Patent should be read with-thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the reeord of the easein the Patent'Ofiice.

si ned and sealed this 16th a l J ly, A. 11,1907.

c. o. BILLINGS, Aoti1 c'g Commissioner of Patents;

. It is hereby certified that'in Letters Patent No.- 857,929, grantedJune 25, 1907, upon the application of Thomas A Edison, or" LlewellynPark, Orange, New J eraey, for an improvement in Storage-BatteryElectrodes, an error appears in the printed specification requiringeqrrectioh, as follows: In line 64, page 1, the word metal should readnickel; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the reoord of the casein the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 16th dayof July, A. 1)., 1907.

[8EAL.] C. C. BILLINGS,

Actihg Commissioner of Patents.

